


Second Best, Second Chance

by AndInThoseMoments



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: BAMF Phil Coulson, Clint Feels, Insecure Clint, Lola the car, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-16
Updated: 2013-05-16
Packaged: 2017-12-12 00:19:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/804931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndInThoseMoments/pseuds/AndInThoseMoments
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint's pretty convinced that Lola hates him.  But that's alright, because he knows he isn't good enough for Phil, or for her.  He just has to put up with being second best.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Second Best, Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StarlingGirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarlingGirl/gifts).



> Inspired by this post: http://starling-girl.tumblr.com/post/50500005990/adamantsteve-bonitabreezy-selenay936 on tumblr

Clint was happy to accept being second best. Through his life, he had been a lot lower down the food chain than that, and he'd given up any hope of ever actually coming first, of ever mattering to anyone more than anything else. 

Not that it was always as easy as he'd like it to be. He had Coulson in his life now, and that was incredible. Every day, he'd wake up next to him, and be stunned by his own continued good luck, be shocked that the older man hadn't crept away in the night. Coulson was a decent guy, a good guy who did well at his job and who was good at it.

Clint was a carnie who had flunked out of middle school. He knew that. He was lucky to have Coulson's attention even for a moment, and he'd had it for years now.

"You're worrying again." Coulson informed him, glancing up from the paperwork he was filling in and reaching out to pat Clint on the shin. "What about?"  
"Nothing." Clint answered. He was jealous. He was jealous and he hated that about himself, hated the way jealousy could bubble inside of him, the way it destroyed things which were good. Coulson was an amazing man, and Clint loved him more than anything. He never would have stopped Coulson from doing what he wanted, what was right for him.

But it still got difficult at times. With Steve, well, Steve was a hero, an idol. Clint didn't mind coming second to him. He knew Phil cherished his trading cards, knew he aspired every day to be more like his hero. It was sweet, and Clint couldn't mind that. But where his jealousy became a problem, where it gnawed away at his chest at night, was Lola.

It, or rather she, was Phil's baby. He loved her, and he spent hours working on her. Clint wasn't allowed to drive her most of the time, because Phil was overprotective of her, and as far as Clint could tell Lola hated him. She had a habit of stalling every time he got into the driver's seat. Clint had to admit it made sense. Lola was worth more money than he had dreamt of before he joined SHIELD. She fitted with Coulson's suits, with Coulson's taste in films and music and wine. In a word, she was classy. In a word, she was Coulson. Clint wasn’t.

Clint glanced out of the window at the red car parked in the driveway - they were only here for an hour for Phil to fill in some urgent paperwork, any longer and she'd be be safely tucked away in the garage, and he glared.

"Clint, I told you, the car doesn't hate you."  
"She thinks I'm not good enough for you." Clint muttered, and he knew he was being petty. He knew he was being ridiculous. But he was sure it was true. He tucked his knees up to his chin, and Coulson rolled his eyes, and reached into his wallet.

"Here Clint." He tossed over a photograph, a composite of two parts. The first looked like a heap of junk, near enough. A car that had seen better days. Rusted, one of the doors missing, windows shattered. He only recognised her because of the photograph beside it, the same car that was in their driveway.  
"That's Lola?" He asked, shocked.  
"Yeh. That's Lola."  
"Why the hell did you bother trying to fix her anyway? You could have got another car."

Coulson shrugged, and he brushed his lips over Clint's forehead.  
"Some things deserve a second chance."

****

"Fuck..." Clint gasped as the building he was standing on began to give way. He fired another two shots, bringing down the last of his attackers, but then the ground underneath his feet wasn't there anymore, and he was in free fall. He knew Hulk and Tony were both too far away. He heard a noise, like a car engine, and he landed.

Metal buckled around him, and it hurt, but it wasn't the pavement. It gave, a little, even if it was hard. He opened his eyes in confusion and saw red. Lola. But he knew she hadn't been near the building. He looked up and saw Coulson's face in the windscreen. He couldn't recognise the expression, wasn't sure if it was anger. He’d just landed on Lola. He was going to be in so much trouble.

"I heard you falling Clint. I saw the building was unsteady and..." Coulson was shaking, talking as he opened the door, but Clint couldn't look at him.

Coulson got out of the car, reaching for Clint's hand and pulling him to his feet. Clint looked over his shoulder at the damage and was tempted to run, to get away, and to find a way of apologising later. He wondered if it would be better to keep running. But Coulson's grip around his wrist was tight, and he bowed his head.  
"I'm sorry." His tongue felt heavy in his mouth, and he tensed, waiting to be told to leave, to be told that he would never be wanted again. He'd broken Coulson's most precious thing, and he was going to be in trouble. He felt sick for a moment, remembering other times he had been in trouble. He couldn't live if Coulson turned on him as well. He knew a beating from Phil would hurt more than any other he'd taken in his life.

"Clint... Clint, it's okay. You're alright... you're alright... come on, sit down, that's it, you're doing well..." Coulson had guided him to sit on a low wall, was rubbing his back. "You need to stop falling off buildings, but it's okay. You're going to have a few nasty bruises, but it's okay. No damage done."

Clint lifted his head, glancing across the street at Lola, at the way her beautiful smooth bonnet was dented, possibly beyond repair, by the force of his impact. The paint was scratched and one of the arrows that had fallen from his quiver during his fall had shattered against the windscreen.  
"I hurt Lola." He whispered, wondering if Phil hadn't seen her yet. If that was the case, he had to tell him now, had to say something before he got his hopes up. He was going to be in trouble when Phil found out. Phil had to be told. "I think...I busted her up pretty good. I dunno if even Stark can fix her. I mean, I'll try, but..."  
"It's alright Clint... you... you're okay. And if she was going to go out, can't think of a better way for her to go..." Coulson's arm wrapped around Clint's shoulder, and he squeezed gently, brushing a kiss against his forehead.

"I love you Clint..." He reached into his pocket, and pulled out his battered wallet, opening it and fishing out two photographs. The first, Clint had seen before. It was Lola, before and after Phil had got his hands on her. Even in the first picture she didn't look as bad as she did now. Coulson squeezed his shoulder gently, and moved the second picture to the front.

Clint gasped, staring as his own face stared back at him, another composite. The first photograph was from a time he'd rather forget, when SHIELD first brought him in. It was a mug shot, more or less, and he was still wearing the jumpsuit from prison. He'd been in a bad way, bruised and angry and full of fear and hatred. The second was him relaxing with the team, in his field uniform, feet up on the table and a smile on his face.

Coulson leant in, brushing his lips against Clint's ear and whispering to him.  
"Clint, when I said some things deserved a second chance, I didn't mean Lola."


End file.
